We all want to win a job interview. It’s not something we look forward to on a Monday morning, but we know we must ace that first interview in order to be invited back for the second, and the third.
I recall interviewing for a leadership role with a global manufacturer in the southeast that required at least six interview steps. It was out of state and the whole process lasted a couple of months. At each stage of the process I had to work pretty hard to “sell” my performance in similar roles at other companies in order to persuade the various interviewers that I could translate that experience into this new role.
Even though you may thoroughly research a company, you still need to ask relevant questions during the interview that will give you insight as to what is really expected in the role and how the company defines success.
Hiring guru Lou Adler, in his article titled “Job Seekers: Your Questions are More Important than Your Answers,” suggests that job candidates should prepare to show off more than simply a list of skills during an interview. Rather, by preparing specific job-focused questions, candidates can position themselves to demonstrate problem-solving experience as they ask about the scope and challenges related to the job they want.
Adler gives these five question-driven keys to the interview process that will make hiring managers take notice of you:
Ask about real job needs. Find out early in the interview examples of current challenges and how job performance will be measured.
Give 1-2 minute answers. Make them short, to the point, and as visual as possible.
Ask forced-choice questions. Speak of your strongest skills and how you utilize them; then ask how these skills would be valuable in the job.
How to answer trick questions. Always bring the conversation back to what is related to the job under consideration. Ask questions that get you back on track.
Find out where you stand. Don’t be afraid to ask about what happens next. If the answer is vague, ask if there are some areas you can clarify to bring the interviewer to the next step: advancing you in the hiring process.
(Read Adler’s full article here.)
…the initiative shown by the candidate in these instances will brand the person as an insightful and motivated person who understands how to deal with people and what it takes to get results. Surprisingly, you’ll discover this will be more important than giving the right answers.
— Lou Adler
We’ve spent 30 years at Core Technology Solutions preparing top IT talent for the interview of a lifetime—not just to get a job, but to build a career.
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